


Why so lonely?

by EydelynBlack



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: And is very good in a videogames, But she thinks is legal, Dia is very sentimental, F/F, Gay Kurosawa Ruby, Gay Tsushima Yoshiko, Hanahaki Disease, Incest, Maybe is a little OOC, Overprotective Kurosawa Dia, Yoshiko is a Hacker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-01-30 06:03:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21423385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EydelynBlack/pseuds/EydelynBlack
Summary: Dia knew that she was committing a sin by having those feelings for his sister.She also knew that at some moment, the gods were going to punish her for all her crimes, but she couldn't stop being in love with her sister.She knew she would pay when her sister fell madly in love with a person other than her. In that moment when his heart would break.She did not expect that that was not enough for her sins.
Relationships: Kunikida Hanamaru/Matsuura Kanan, Kurosawa Dia & Kurosawa Ruby, Kurosawa Dia/Kurosawa Ruby, Kurosawa Ruby/Tsushima Yoshiko, Takami Chika & Watanabe You
Comments: 13
Kudos: 37





	1. Prologue

#### Hanaki is a disease of love

#### 

When a person find his soulmate, but his feelings aren't reciprocated, or the person in question doesn't known the feelings from the other, the disease may appear.

The first case of Hanahaki ocurred in South Corea, expanding rapidly through the Asian Continent. Until a few years ago, the people thought that the disease only affected Asians, until the first case that was recorded of Hanahaki in North America. 

#### But, What is Hanahaki really?

Hanahaki is a disease that makes you vomit flowers from inside you

In a first place, you will only split petals in the moment that you feel any feeling, then, you will split flower, then flowers with blood, and finally, bouquets of flowers.

This is because the Hanahaki causes a vine to grow from your stomach to your lungs, because the disease feeds on your feelings, consumes oxygen from your lungs, and sucks the water that you consume.

#### First Symptoms

1\. Chest tightness

2\. Dizziness

3\. Cold

4\. Vomiting Petals of diferent types

5\. sleeplessness

If you have one of this symptomps, you should go to see your doctor inmediatly, no matter the cost of your feelings.

#### Secondary Symptomps

1\. Physical tiredness

2\. Difficult to focus

3\. Poor appetite

4\. hard breathing

5\. Vomits of petals with blood

If you feel that or someone in your family haves this symptoms, it's very urgent to make him see the situation and try to convince him to see a doctor.

#### Final Symptoms

1\. Dehydration

2\. Asthma

3\. Bleeding

4\. Null appetite

5\. Vomiting of Clusters with blood

6\. Depression

7\. Speech loss

8\. Vegetative state

In case of this symptoms, it´s extremly emergent to go a hospital, where you will be given the necessary indications.

#### There is a cure of Hanahaki disease?

Actualy, two ways are known to cure the disease.

The first, and the most improbably, is that the person's feelings are reciprocated, with a true love. In this case, the flower only die and will disappear. No afection to the person, and the affected will live.

The other cure is a surgery, where the roots of the flower are extracted directly and the disease desappears. Although it seems to be a better opcion, very few person decide to do this.

The reason is that by the elimination of the disease, the feelings towards the other person disappeared. In other words, you will not see the other person as a stranger. And, exist the danger of more than 80% that you lost your feelings for any person. Also, the surgery it will only work if the sick person wishes to be operated. If not, the Hanahaki will return.

##### I don't want to do the surgery, How much life do I have left?

One caracteristic of Hanahaki is it slow or fast it develops acording to your feelings.

If you continue to seeing this person, you will be extremly prone to the Hanahaki increase its evolution, while if you move away from that person, you can extend your time life. The average time, usually is three months to a year and a half. However, the recint discoveries of Asian doctors have allowed to created a medicine that can extend the time life, because it prevents the vine from developing with normality. Although this doesn't eliminate the disease, it can extend your time life for two or three years.


	2. Chapter 2

Dia looked of umpteenth time the _fancam_ that she has found from her last performance of Aqours, a fancam that she kept very good, because if she was discovered it would surely be a extremely bad sight.__

And, it was a casuality, that the fancam she found, wasn't from anyone other then her beloved sister, Kurosawa Ruby.

If someone discovered it, the image that she had, the image that she had like a perfect representation of a Japanese woman would be lost forever. She knew that she was committing a sin by having those terrible thoughs about her younger sister.

But just watching this video, where she could apreciate Ruby doing her dance moves, where she could admire her sister with all the costumes she had made herself, could make the colors rise to her face.

Dia was aware that it is an impossible dream and that her sister would never accept her feelings, but this didn't stop her from wanting to stay with her as long as possible.

And she knew it was about time for it to end.

That was something that she didn't want to remember, leaving her sister after such a long time was something that made her heart opress

Instantly, she let out a sneeze, something that wasn't strange for her, it was a cold because the window of her room was open, so she simply go to close it.

That made her realize de time, it was already dark and the most worrisome for Dia , there were no traces of her sister.

She had told her that hse would go for a walk with Yoshiko. Although the fallen angel wasn't completely for the pleased of Dia, she knew that she wouldn't do anything to her sister.

Still, it was too late.

But, standing at the window, she could see something that broke her heart.

Her sister and Yoshiko, at the entrance of the house, holding hands, before Ruby stole a kiss from the datenshi.

Her eyes open with surprise, > while she felt her skin pale, she wanted to be in front of them and know what they where talking about. But since she was up so high, she couldn't distinguish a single word.

Saw the datenshi blush and run away, while her sister walked trough the garden whith a silly smile in her face, touching her lips that had usurped those of the datenshi. 

She needs explications.

She ran quickly down out of her room, and sit down in the armchair that was next to the door, which was being closed by the redhead very carefully, she surely wished she didn't realize she had arrived.

Too late.

"Ruby!" The mencionated jumped in surprise, she had been discovered "Something that you want to tell me?"

"You don't have to gave me the dinner, Yohane and I had dinner at her house" She tried to sound funny, but she regretted seeing the hard look her sister was giving her " I promise to not be so late again!"

Dia felt sad and disapointed, her sister didn't had enough confidience to tell her what she had just seen. But it didn't matter, she was going to take the first step. 

"Ruby, that's not it " Ruby was surprised to hear that Dia's voice had lowered the intensity of her voice, noticing how she relaxed her shoulders, but the hurt look she gave her made her sick. "You don't want to tell me anything about Yoshiko... and you?"

Then Ruby noticed that she was in a lot of problems

"Sister... I..." She had to hold back the tears in her eyes, it was no use getting a cheap excuse "Yohane and I are dating! I went on a date with her!"

"Wooby..." Now, the one who had to hold back the tears was her, that statement had just broken her heart, she had lost her sister.

She though about denying her the right to date her, but she repted as quickly as the idea crossed her mind. Ruby was not longer a child, and she knew that her sister would be willing to fight for their relationship.

She won't want to be a villian. So, she had to resign herself to give her approval.

In any other condition, she would have felt happy and fulfillied to see how her sister's eyes began to shine with a dizziling intensity fot those who saw her, to see her smile and for her to hug her tightly, while thanking for absolutly everything, and she was beggining to told how they had reaching this moment, even when Dia didn't asked her.

But in this moment, the only thing that Dia felt is pain, and a terrible envy and jealously to the girl who had managed to steal her sister's heart. She was barely to able to finish hearing Ruby's story, for she felt that any moment she would burst into tears.

Because it was too late after the long talk, the two sisters decided it was best.

Once inside in her room, Dia released all the tears she had accumalated, crying until her body couldn't longer, until it was late at night and and everyone in Numazu was asleep, except her. She was hoped she hadn't cried so loudly that Ruby could hear her.

How she could lost with someone like Tsushima Yoshiko?

It was unthinkable.

Then, she felt a terrible cramp in her stomach, wich forced her to run to her bathroom.

One.

Two.

Three chokes.

However, Dia didn't felt at any moment that something was coming out of her mouth. She looked directly for the toilet, trying to see what had done her wrong

She paled when she noticed that there were three petals of lilies resting on the toilet water.

_No, that was impossible___

She hadn't let out those petals, no, it most have been the air, it was impossible to her to spit petals.

She must to be very tired, so, she better decided that it was time for her to change and sleep.

However, despite all his attempts to fall asleep, she simply couldn't keep an eye on the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this is my first fanfic in english, so, I'm trying to do my best work, let me know how I do :D


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Dia didn't let the bothering thoughts she had at night, prevented her from going to school.

She didn't care that her broken heart wanted her to stay in bed late and cry even more._ Silly stuff._

Nor she cared that her face showed a tired girl, who spent the night awaken. _Nothing that some make up wouldn't fix_

And the most important thing, she didn't care that when her little sister told that Yohane would go with her to school, Dia involuntary coughed a pair of petals.

_It's all a coincidence, she can be fine._

She came to Uranohoshi as any day, she took her class like any student and worked in the student council as always.

Of course, it was a torture to watch Yohane and Ruby spending too much time together during the Aqours training.

Simply, she couldn't stop watching them all the time, it was surprising for her, in fact, she was the only who didn't know about the relationship between Ruby and Yoshiko.

And everyone seemed to be a little uncomfortable to mention it in front of her, probably because everyone knew how overprotective the student council president was with her younger sister.

In fact, she could have sworn that You wished the datenshi a happy dead.

"Is everything alright, _darling_?" Mari's voice pulled out of her thoughts "You look very distant today."

"Eh? Yeah, I'm fine" She lied, but it was necessary, it wasn't like she could freely say that she was too hurt because her sister was in love with someone who wasn't her.

"Dia, we are your friends" Kanan spoke loudly, but in a way that only Dia and Mari could heard "We perfectly know that you are jealous of Yoshiko."

Okay, that was a surprise. She didn't expect someone to discover that. "Of course not!"

"Maybe the others didn't realize it, _sweetie_, but we know you very well, and we perfectly know about your feelings towards your sister" Mari's mischievous look only scared Dia. "You don't have to lie to us."

"The only thing that you are achieving is confusing Ruby and the others" Kanan explained "Hanamaru told me that Ruby feels like you aren't still approving Yoshiko, even she is worried about how could you react to the notice. Although doesn't occur to her that it can be because you're really in love..." Kanan couldn't finish the sentence, Dia covered her mouth.

"Don't say it in public!" She whispered, panicking. Suddenly, Dia let out a sneeze, followed a surge of these.

All the girls turned to see where the third year was located, worried about the state of Dia.

"Sister! Are you okay?" Ruby tried to came near her sister, but she stopped her.

Trying to fight down a couple of sneezes, Dia nodded "It must to be the cold, it would be better if I left or I may catch a cold. I will go to the student council hall ... Achoo!" Dia rathered to run out of the roof, while covering her mouth tightly, more petals were coming out of her mouth with each sneeze.

Although, she couldn't let them go, but only one, that was seen by the violet-eyed girl.

She locked the room door once she entered, while dropping all the petals she already had in her hand.

That was enough, she needed to know, what was going on with her.

She turned on the computer and tried to enter in the search engine, but as if the fate didn't want her to investigate a bit, it turned out that there was no internet.

"Magnificent" she murmured, before releasing another sneeze, this time letting out a red french petal.

Could the flowers have a meaning?

She thought it would be better to go to the library, there should be even a single book explaining why the hell was she spitting flowers nonstop. But then she rectified, Hanamaru was in charge of the library, and if was anything there, only Hanamaru could know it. Kanan once told her that she was worried, she would surely start series of questions that Dia wasn't willing to answer.

Her mysterious case would have to wait a little more.

She tried to clear her mind of that dilemma, along with her thoughts about her sister's new relationship, focusing on all the paperwork that she had pending. Which seemed to work, because the more she got into the papers, the less she was sneezing and she seemed to forget the pain's oppression.

Sure, until she heard that someone was knocking the door.

Her expression became a serious one, she wasn't in a mood for visits.

"Hey, Dia, it's me... Yohane"

_And less that visit._

"I'm too busy, I can't help you" She answered loudly enough for her to hear, hoping she would understand the message.

"Ruby told me that you wanted to see me" Yohane was trying to stay stable, but actually she was frightened quaking, how could she deal with a Dia who was surely upset?.

Meanwhile, in the other side of the door, Dia wondered why on the earth, her sister sent Yoshiko.

Finally, she opened the door "Aren't you going to come in?"

Yohane nodded with a little fear, Dia sat down again, drinking her cup of tea. After a few minutes in silence, where both stared at each other, Dia spoke.

She wasn't in the mood to see her face longer, it was just causing her discomfort to come back "Well? Did you came here just for us to stare at each other?".

"I..." Yohane was stunned, she didn't wanted to be there, but she promised it to Ruby, she told she was going to talk with her sister so that she would realize that she only wanted the best for the redhead "I came to talk about... you know, what's between Ruby and me."

Dia decided to show her strongest posture, even though she gave her the approval, Yoshiko was sitting there... with all de cynicism of wanting to talk, Yoshiko must be making fun of her!

"Do you have suicidal tendencies?" Dia said those words with a calm and coldness that scalded Yohane's skin.

"Uh?"

"You dare to usurp the lips of my innocent sister, took her between your arms, fool her with all stupid words about fallen angels and all those things that only divert Ruby's path. And you still have the courage to talk" Dia's expressionless eyes were attacking the datenshi's, who seemed to be in the verge of tears.

"I, I just want the best for Ruby" Yohane didn't understand where did she was getting the courage from to keep talking "I know I can be a good girlfriend! The best for her!".

"That is a vile lie" Dia put the cup of tea on the table and stood quickly to stand face to face with Yoshiko "She shouldn't be yours! Do you think you could even take care of her better than I do ...?" She couldn't complete her sentence, because of the feeling of something going through her throat, and before she could even do something, she was sitting on the floor, throwing yellow rose petals from her mouth.

"Dia!" Yoshiko standed up quickly to try to help her, even if it was just to keep Dia from staying in the floor, because she couldn't stop throwing the flower.

Minutes had to pass before Dia's attack seemed to calm down, and she could turn to see Yoshiko severely.

Even with a pair of petals in her mouth, Dia was very clear with her words "Not a word of this to anyone, or I will cut those fallen angel's wings that you claim to have".

"Dia, this is serious, Do you know what happened to you? The vomiting of flowers..." Yoshiko was scared, speaking with a confidence never seen before, worried about her partner's sister.

But, in Dia's mind, the pieces began to accommodate.

She spit petals every time she thinks about Yoshiko, and casually, now they were facing each other, she was spitting flowers again. It must be her.

Yoshiko might witched her!

"You did this to me! You cast a spell in me!" She immediately began to cough Holly's petals "Your underworld stuff did this to me..."

"Yohane doesn't use her powers for that" She demanded, it was an offence that Dia think that about her. "Although her complete wisdom may notice that you are very jealous of her."

"Me? Jealous of you? Ha!" Dia tried to tease, but the petals coming out of her mouth prevent her from doing so.

"Little Demon, the petals betray you, yellow roses and Hollies only mean envy, jealousy or anger" Yohane smiled triumphantly, although she tried to go back to the conversation "If it doesn't bothers you, I want to help. How long have you been like this? And the most important thing, for who?"

"What do you mean?" Dia looked Yoshiko with a surprising innocence.

Yohane was surprised that, seriously, Dia didn't have idea that what happen with her "Dia, you suffer from Hanahaki."

"Hanahaki?"

"Do you even know what does it is?" Dia shook her head, and Yoshiko walked through the whole floor full of petals to reach Dia's computer.

"There's no internet" Dia explained, but Yoshiko ignored her.

"Mari changed the passwords so only she had internet yesterday" She explained "But she didn't count with Yohane's powers to be much powerful than a simple password"

"Did you know that hacking private internet networks is illegal?"

"Isn't a hacking! It was magical powers that the gods gave to me, I'm just only using a bit of my infinite intelligence" She reproached her, and now, the web opened without problems.

Although Yoshiko searched the word 'Hanahaki' in the searching engine, not many results appeared, all links seemed to be blocked or dropped.

Yoshiko sighed "I forgot that the goverment block the news. I don't know how to explain this to you Dia, but a flower is growing inside you."

"What?"

"I don't know much about the disease, Yohane just search the basics because of a false alarm, a long time ago, before she could unlock her power" Dia didn't understand a word that Yoshiko said "But if we don't take that flower out from you, caused by an unrequited love, you will die."

She had to recharge in the chair where she was sitting, without believing it.

"That... means... Does it means I'm going to die?" The news fell like a bucket of cold water, her huge love for her sister was killing her "I need to be alone"

Even with a lost look, Dia was stopped by Yoshiko.

"Look, maybe is the first time that you and I have a conversation, and is clear that our relationship isn't in... the best terms" Yoshiko took a breath "But, you are the most important person for the most important person to me, so, if some happens to you, Ruby will be very bad, and... come on, if I could get Ruby, how hard would it be to make your lover fall in love with you?"

Although was a joke on Yoshiko's part. It didn't cause a hint of laugher in Dia.

"My love is an impossible love, understand it"

And there was no girl who told me that things between Ruby and I were impossible because of a penguin was her protector, come on, trust me."

"Are you willing to leave Ruby for me?" At this point, she didn't care if Yoshiko called her an ill one or not.

"What? No! That's not the point of the conversation!"

"Yeah, it is" She replied "Yoshiko, could your demoniac powers erase the blood ties Ruby and I have? Can you make her fall in love with me?"

Yoshiko let go of her hand immediately "You... Ruby..."

"Understand it Yoshiko, you have no way to save me" Dia left the student council hall, leaving a static Yoshiko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! How did they spend on these dates? I hope you have a good year uwu
> 
> Here is the next chapter, I received some help and I hope that has improved in how it is written, how did I do it? What do you think of the chapter? I would love to know your opinion.


	4. Chapter 4

After that revealing news, Dia didn't returned to her lessons, she decided that was the moment for her to collapse and not leaving her room for anything but eating.

She let her heart win, so she spent sleepless nights drowning in her own tears, letting the pain consume her.

She excused herself with Kanan and Mari, with the excuse that she catched a terrible cold that prevented her from getting out of the bed, a compelling lie, it was already November, and it was so credible that even her sister believed her. Although not in the way she'd wanted.

Her sister had insisted on taking care of her just as she did when she got sick, something that only increased her Hanahaki.

Couldn't her sister understand it?

The fact that she stayed every night taking care of her, that she took her breakfast to bed, that she cared so much for her, was something Dia wanted to happen every day.

And, because of her sister spending a lot of quality time with her, she could only confirm the strong feelings she had towards her, which tortured her even more.

It wasn't only her impure conscience who told her she was making a mistake, wishing her sister's love in that way, now every part of her, every moment she spits one more petal, was reminding her that she was dying of love.

Maybe it was a way to calm down her pain, but Dia thought that Hanahaki was a punishment from the gods for falling in love with her sister.

She had to admit it, she has also been able to control it in some way. Although it was a shame not to look for any information, because the disease seemed to be erased in everywhere, as if it doesn't exist.

At some point, she thought that Yoshiko lied to her.

Although, if so, what did she really have?

Even so, being with her sister, so close to each other, made her feel that the flower was growing inside her.

Therefore, when her sister moved away from her, even to prepare a meal, Dia suffered terrible attacks, which could cause the entire room to end up wrapped in a soft layer of flowers.

She was lying in her bed, trying to sleep as she did lately, mainly because her sister was at Hanamaru's house, because she needed to finish a school project, and she would surely sleep there, because the cloudy sky indicated that the last rains of November were approaching.

However, a knock on the door prevented her from entering her dream.

"Surely Ruby forgot her keys," she thought.

She calmly went down to the entrance, but her surprise was that Yoshiko was the one who knocked on the door

"Ruby is with Hanamaru, I couldn't go out with you today, unless it is to help with that project" Those were her words without emotion when she saw her standing there.

"You look terrible" Surely, Yoshiko didn't said that intentionally, but the words came out of her mouth by their own.

"Thank you. I told you where do Ruby is, there's no need to see you again" Dia coughed a petal, hiding it quickly with her hand.

Then, Yoshiko remembered, why was she there.

"I didn't came because of Ruby, I came for you"

Dia raised an eyebrow. Without understanding why did Yoshiko needed her.

"Look, I got an appointment with the only person in all of Tokyo who could heal Hanahaki, I spent a lot of money making an appointment and it will be a good investment, can you come with me, please?" Dia opened her eyes with surprise, she didn't expect that.

"Why did you do that?"

"I have no explanation, but if we don't take the train that leaves to Tokyo in half an hour, we're going to be late, and I read out there that she don't have a good mood."

Dia didn't know what to say, but lately she ended up at the train station next to Yoshiko. While they were waiting for the train to arrive, neither of them said a single word, so Dia let her questions speak. 

"How do you know about hanahaki?" Was her first question.

"I told you, a false alarm a long time ago" Dia raised her eyebrow. Yoshiko had though she had Hanahaki?

But as she could read her mind, she answered before asking.

"I wasn't the person who though could have hanahaki, it was another friend" Dia accepted, not asking more about this.

"How do you know about the disease, I search in the internet and I didn't find a single article or link that wasn't off"

Dia noticed that, as soon as she asked this question, Yoshiko looked away.

"Do you promise not say a single word?" Yoshiko replied with another question.

"Yoshiko..."

"It's Yohane! And you must promise not to say anything!"

"Alright, I won't say anything, after all, you also covered me with a secret" Dia noticed that Yoshiko's shoulders relaxed and turned to see her again.

"I am... very good with the computers, you know? I love everything related to technology and videogames"

"I though your only hobby were rituals of fallen angels" Dia let her tongue speak for more, so she immediately apologized ashamed.

"The internet is very important to Yohane to be aware for her Little Demons!" Yoshiko took a brake and continued "The point is that, for a year or two, I took my knowledge to the next level."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, making money with your talent."

"Can you make money playing videogames?"

"Of course yes!" Yoshiko replied annoyed, noting that Dia didn't believed her "You have to be very good, which clearly I am, and the gains in clandestine contest are better than those normal contests"

Then, Dia understood everything.

"You get in illegal contest, which can't be found easily, or I am wrong?" Yoshiko nodded "So, I guess you know how to hack, just like you did with the school internet"

"Just to clarify, I am not doing anything illegal, if it is clandestine, it's because nobody wants to give half of the prize won in taxes to the government" Dia rolled her eyes, she was sure that Yoshiko would never admit that it was illegal.

"Sure, then you hacked all those fallen pages to access them, didn't you?

"How ugly you say it!" She complained again "All that Yohane did was to remove the blockade that the government put on those pages, for some reason, they don't want people to find out about the disease." Yohane shrugged.

After that, Dia didn't ask more questions, she had already satiated her curiosity, for the moment.

When they arrived in Tokyo, they didn't had to walk much before they could get to the hospital where Yoshiko's acquaintance works.

Meeting in Tokyo again, made that all the Dia's memories had of that city hit her like a whirlwind. 

That was the second time she went to Tokyo without her sister. The first one was when she failed with the first Aqours.

Just remembering all those happy moments that she had with her sister, seeing her growing each time like a School Idol, triumphing together in their dreams, made the pain in her chest grow back.

Immediately, Dia coughed a new petal, wich was noticed by Yoshiko.

"Does it bring you memories or are you still jealous?" Yohane gave her a mocking smile, which was not funny for even a second.

"I was thinking about the time we came as Aqours, just that" Yoshiko shrugged and nodded, but Dia kept talking. "Do you think could I come back?"

"Uh?"

"Come back to Aqours, I mean."

"I don't know, I'd lie if I said I know the disease completely, because not like that, I barely know the basics."

After walking for a while, they finally arrived to the hospital and while Dia waited in the waiting room chairs, Yoshiko went to the reception.

"They're waiting for us, let's go" Dia nodded and walked to Yoshiko's side through the maze of hospital halls.

When they reached the door they were waiting for them, Dia couldn't believe it.

"Yoshiko, are you sure that it's here?" Dia's eyes glowed after reading the metal sign that was stuck on the door.

"Sure" Yoshiko knocked on the door, which was greeted by a 'ahead'

"I'm Dr. Nishikino Maki, you're Kurosawa Dia and Yoshiko Tsushima, aren't you?"

"Nishikino Maki?" Dia looked at her from head to toe, forgetting her manners, making sure it was her "The Nishikino Maki who was in the School Idol's group μ's?"

Dia expected Maki to have some reaction to the name of μ's, hoping she would realize that she was a fan.

"That is already part of my past, it was just a Hobby to me" She started playing with her hair, without changing the expression on her face, braking Dia's heart "Who is the one who suffers Hanahaki?"

The momentary pain that Dia felt when she saw that μ's was nothing to Maki, caused her cough a petal, something that Maki noticed, answering her question, but turning to see Yoshiko.

"Could you leave the date to just the two of us? I have to talk with her."

"I have issues to solve in Tokyo, can you send me a message when they finish?" Dia was highly offended because of Yoshiko's way of speaking to her, but she had to keep her pride, Yoshiko was doing her a favor.

"Come in, please" Dia entered in Maki's office, which was quite large "Excuse my rudeness after you mentioned μ's, but as I said, I would appreciate it if you didn't mention the subject again, it is something that is already a part of my past, sit where you like" Dia felt those words too forced, because Maki hadn't even changed her expression.

"Excuse me, Dr. Nishikino"

"Tell me Maki, don't worry. You are... Kurosawa Dia?" She nodded "Could I talk to you without formalities?" Maki sat on the desk chair, taking a tablet to start writing down the data.

Despite the bad impression she gave at first. Dia was flattered by that.

"Of course"

"Tell me, Dia, who causes your Hanahaki? Your best friend, your childhood friend..."

"My sister" For some reason, she wasn't afraid to say it, she shouldn't lie.

Maki didn't change her serious expression upon hearing that.

_"Strictly Professional"_ She thought.

"Since when? Is the girl who accompanied you?" Maki kept asking questions.

"Since when I'm in love with her? Too much time to tell" She sighed "The girl who accompanied me is her girlfriend."

"Unrequited love. Your Hanahaki started when they announced her relationship, or I'm wrong?"

Dia nodded "That's what Yoshiko told me, but I don't know if it's real, I couldn't investigate anything on the internet." 

Maki stood up and opened one of her table drawers, handing out a booklet.

"You won't find anything in the internet, try to keep your condition hidden" Dia raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Is it because I fell in love with my sister?"

"Beyond that, hanahaki is a relatively young disease, it doesn't go beyond thirty years. However, it had a reach throughout the Asian continent in a very short time, so we began to be seen as inferior beings internationally, then, to avoid humiliation, governments blocked the information worldwide, so the new generation wouldn' t discover our weakness and ignorance was expected to eradicate the disease."

"But, it doesn't work, the disease continued to exist we are still of a lower race, right?

Maki shook her head, impressed by Dia's deduction skills.

"No, quite the opposite, the disease has evolved a year ago, the first case of Hanahaki was recorded in America, but it is a very well kept secret by the international court."

After that, Maki began to explain what the disease was, solving Dia's concerns almost robotically, as if she knew it by heart. 

However, the key question came, the reason why Dia had gone to visit Maki.

"Is there any kind of cure?"

Maki nodded "Yes, a very easiest operation of no more than two hours, when all that is done is to cut the root of the flower, it withers instantly and disappears forever."

Dia's eyes lit up in hope. If there was a way to save herself! She wasn't going to die!

"How much is it?" Despite her emotion, she maintained her composure, only standing up from the seat where she was.

However, Maki told her to sit again.

"I haven't finished to explain you" Maki closed her eyes for a moment "The operation does eliminate the Hanahaki, but, as with anything, to receive you have to give. The cost of saving your life with the operation are the feelings, all the feelings, whether they are loving or not, towards that person, they will be lost and you will not be able to recover them" Dia's shoulders lowered and the shining look she had disappeared "And, there only exist an eighty percent of chance that you not only lose them for her, that it is for anyone you know.

Dia's mind worked very fast, analyzing.

Lose all her feelings in exchange your life? That was what she wanted?

Give up her feelings for Mari and Kanan? For her parents? For Aqours?

And the most importantly. Losing what she felt for Ruby? The person who made her get up every morning and move on?

No. A life without feeling anything for her sister it wasn't a life.

"Thank you, but I don't want the operation." Dia spoke with the formality that characterized her. "I don't want to live a life without feelings, being just a body without a soul."

But, as if Maki hadn't heard her, she spoke "I recommend that you do the operation, if you really love those people, you should give up your selfishness."

"My decision is made," Dia said this in a vibrant tone, she didn't want to have to fight.

"Okay," Maki gave up the idea. "There is a way to extend your life, even for a year or a little more."

Dia calmed down, paying attention.

"Listen, you can only get these pills here, they won't know what you're talking about anywhere else. Are they from here?" Tokyo, I mean— Dia shook her head.

"We're from Numazu"

"Take one per day and never take too much, they will help you to control your disease, you can do everything you want without fear of ending up in a sea of flowers, although, for your sake, I would say to stay away from your sister so much as you can."

"Impossible, I'm not going to the college yet and we both live together."

"She doesn't know it, right?" Dia denied it again "In that case, take two pills, you can start a lasting conversation with her, although you have to learn to control your emotions."

Finishing the appointment, Dia called Yoshiko, who wasn't late in arriving, as she was relatively close according with her words. She let her the money for the medicines, because it was her fault that Dia didn't have it, she took it out so fast that she wouldn't have time to take her things.

While Dia paid, Maki spoke with Yoshiko.

“Miss Tsushima?” Yohane turned off the game on her cell phone when she heard her last name.

"Tell me Yohane," Maki nodded. "Is something wrong?"

"I wish they could come to visit me every two weeks." Yohane's eyes widened. "And a question. How did you find that I knew how the Hanahaki worked?"

"Check the past three pages of google" She sighed "However, I can't pay what you charge every two weeks."

"I know, you are not wealthy, and wealthy families who come to see me looking for miracles." Although Yohane thought that she said it with some misgivings, her words sounded as neutral as everything. "And that's why I won't charge you a penny, they are my personal case."

Maki wouldn't tell her, but she was taking them as a personal case, just because they were the first to reject the operation.

Yohane nodded "Paying for an express trip to Tokyo is something she can afford."

"Great." Despite the expression, Yoshiko thought those words were empty. 

When Yoshiko and Dia left, Maki returned to her office, sighing, to take out a portrait she had hidden in a drawer.

The photo that μ's along with the other School Idols, after Sunny Day Song.

"Reminds me to me" Maki's cold expression never changed, however, she kept the photo again, took her coat and left the office, the day was over.


	5. Maki's visit a... friend?

Maki went down to the parking lot and climbed into her luxurious car, driving through the busy streets at a Tokyo in night, showing its maximum splendor, until she reached a much quieter neighborhood than the center of Akihabara.

She parked in the street and walked to a bakery, opening the door, making the bell ring, and a twenty-year-old woman hurried out.

"Excuse me, but we've already ..." Looking at the one in front, she immediately cut off her words. "Maki!"

"Hi, Honoka."

Honoka ran to give her a hug and Maki corresponded to it, giving empty answer.

"How long have we not seen each other?" She asked.

"I guess the last one was at your wedding, three years ago."

And at that moment, a little boy, who seemed to be the living image of Honoka, and who probably just learned to walk, came out from behind the counter.

"Mom, who is her?" The little one, who couldn't speak very well, pointed at Maki, Honoka just took him in her arms, carrying him.

“Do you have a son?” Honoka closed her eyes in shame, time had wreaked havoc, and Maki had lost that friendship by entering the ostracism of loneliness.

"Maki, I ..." 

“Congratulations."

Honoka felt a chill on her back when she heard those words, it was best to change the subject "Do you want to pass? I'll lay my child down, prepare some bread and tea to talk with you."

Maki nodded and stepped into the dining room. Minutes later, Honoka arrived at the dining room with two cups of tea.

"How is everything? Any complicated patients?"

"Actually yes." Maki stared at Honoka. "A 17-year-old girl, much like me at that age."

“What does she have?” As if Honoka returned to high school, she took a piece of bread and enjoyed it as in the old days.

"Hanahaki."

Honoka almost choked with the bread.

"What?"

"She's in love with her younger sister; her soulmate, I noticed it when I saw her shining eyes every time she mentioned her" Honoka shrugged in herself, it was a pretty sensitive subject "A sin that exploded when her sister started dating someone else."

"Maki, you should do something..."

"I already told her to have the operation done, but she was the first person to reject it." She took a sip of her tea.

"Maki, you know that's not the best option."

"It's the option she have if she want to live." Honoka was terrified of Maki's cold and calm expression, she knew it was her fault. "I took my whole life looking for a cure besides the operation, and all I could achieve are those stupid pills, there isn't any cure."

"Maki, listen, what happened six years ago ... I" Maki interrupted her.

"That was the best, there are no grudges" Another sip of her tea "The girl is an μ's fan, she surely tried to be a school idol."

Honoka took out her cell phone "What's her name?"

"Kurosawa Dia."

She wrote that name in the search engine, and the videos of Aqours came out immediately.

"It seems that if you have a School Idol group, they won this year's Love Live."

"Interesting, we're really alike ..." She couldn't finish her sentence, the door bell rang again.

"Honky, I have arrived, my love."

"Your husband?" Honoka nodded. "I will retire, then."

"Maki, wait ...

"I'm not going to bother you, I was glad to see you Honoka, I hope to see you again soon." Honoka knew that phrase was a call to reality.

Maki got up and walked to the exit, followed by Honoka, meeting with her husband, giving him a warm kiss on his lips, Maki just stared, that was something she couldn't have. Sighing, she said goodbye again, then retired.

"Who was she?" Honoka's husband asked.

"A high school friend, she was with me in μ's."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! It's been ages since I last saw you.
> 
> I apologize for taking such a long time to update, but my beta had a depressive lapse and it took me a while to correct this to confirm that I had written this well xd I hope to bring you something more often, since I have written it for almost six xd months
> 
> Well, keep Dr. Nishikino's name in mind, which will be important.


	6. Chapter IV

At night, Dia and Yoshiko arrived to Numazu, with a pouring rain falling over them.

She stared at Yoshiko, because of her expression, Dia was sure there'd be problems arriving at her house. 

“Is everything alright?” She asked, because of nothing but curiosity.

“My mother keep asking where I am, she hasn’t trust in me, and I'm hanging out all the time, she's threatening with entering to Yohane's sacred temple, and she will definitely not enjoy the hell” Dia raised an eyebrow, she didn't understand a word “She will enter to my room, looking for a clue that could tell my whereabouts, and I have things there that my mother wouldn't approve.” 

_ "Clandestine stuff, I guess" _

“Say you're in a project with Ruby and Maru” What was she doing? Why was she inciting Yohane to lie? 

Yohane rolled her eyes “I already told that, she ask for a pic, or I'm lying.”

Dia supposed that Yohane had lied a lot throughout her life, for her mother to untrust her like that.

“Take a photo with me, tell her you were at Ruby's house, then go to your home in peace, don't hurry up or she might suspect” And there she was, as when she was younger, Kanan and Mari getting into troubles, making plans for helping people managing her problems.

Yohane only nodded, turned on the phone's camera, got close to Dia and took that pic. 

“Awesome, I sent it” She said “Are you going to school tomorrow?”

“Ma…” She corrected “Dr. Nishikino told me that taking those pills I would do almost everything without having an attack, so I'll try it.”

“See you tomorrow then” Yohane put on her jacket's cap, got her hands into her pockets and started to walk to her house. 

Dia saw her walking away into the rain, but then she reminded she still had Yoshiko's umbrella. 

She turned to the direction Yohane went, so she could probably reach her. But there wasn't a person there, there was no trace of anyone who could be walking there a few seconds ago. 

She sighed, she could give back her umbrella tomorrow. 

There wasn't any bus that she could take, so she ended up walking back home.

She thought in sending her sister a message, to make sure she's at her house already, nevertheless, her phone was completely dead. 

It was pretty sure she was at Hanamaru's place.

* * *

After half an hour of walking under the storm, Dia finally arrived home. 

The surprising was, that when she turned the lights on, her sister was waiting for her. Sitting on the couch, staring at her roughly. As Dia used to do when Ruby messed up with something

Although, that rough stare was actually a whimper. 

Much to her regret, she was grateful with Yohane for telling her to take those blissful pills while they were on the train, if not, she would already be coughing petals, caused by her sister's cute expression. 

Also she could feel it, she felt petals going up her throat, but something avoid they could came out, just like as if a soft silk was catching them and make them disappear. Leaving nothing but a bothersome mint taste. 

“Where were you?” She was amazed, Ruby seemed too cute trying to show a cold attitude “I came back from Hanamaru's house only for taking care of you, and you weren't here."

Even though she knew her sister was incapable to show the respect she deserved, she knew she wanted explanations, and that she wouldn't stop till she get them. 

That'd be the first time she lied to her sister. 

“I had to go with Mari” Faked a cough, and felt a petal coming out her mouth, that barrier broke for a minute “I didn't think that it would take us too much time.”

“Sister have never let me go out when I was had a cold or something, she used to be more strict if I wasn't wearing the right clothes for the weather” Ruby was right, she was only wearing a long sleeved shirt, and she'd be wet because of the rain if Yoshiko hasn't been.

She was glad her sister didn't recognize it.

“Forgive me, it won't happen again” Dia grinned at her, playing the game of the inverted roles. 

Ruby relaxed her look, but decided to follow the game “Sister needs to take a shower, to avoid catching a cold, meanwhile I'll cook something.” 

“Food cooked by Ruby is always delicious” Ruby blushed because of that, something that Dia didn't realized, she was already entering the bathroom, smiling like a fool, glad that Ruby make those things only for her. 

Only for her.

Not for Yoshiko nor Hanamaru, only for Dia.

She'd love that things like this could happen everyday! 

Her heart pounded faster by only imagining those things. Arriving after a heavy work day, being received by a warm kiss, while she could smell some tasty food. Then Ruby could ask how was her day, the dinner already made, and they could talk about it while enjoying their time together. 

A cough attack brought her back to reality, and when lots of petals came out of her mouth, she get worried, do that pills really last so few time? Then, does she needed to take two per day? 

But she reminded Maki's words, she must learn to have control over her feelings, or the medication won't be worth. 

Oh… She wanted to see Ruby's reaction when she tell her she had met Maki Nishikino!

She was coughing even more, more petals were falling, she was realizing her reality where she was living…

She couldn't say that, she couldn't say she met Maki, she may clear her mind, and take a shower. 

When she finished, she decided to wear nothing but her bathrobe and a towel in her hair, before going down and having dinner, where she could already smell Ruby's food. 

When Ruby saw her going downstairs, she immediately ran towards her, grabbing the towel around Dia's neck, telling her to sit down to dry her hair. 

“Sister always help me to dry my hair, can I help her this time?” Día assented, feeling as if she was in the sky… 

During a few minutes, Dia leaved carry by the sweet feeling of Ruby's hands caressing her hair, thinking that they might play that game more often.

When she finished, Ruby served dinner modestly, but Dia enjoyed it as if it was the last of her life. Actually, how many could remain? When would she experience a moment like this again? 

Maki told her she was having early Hanahaki symptoms, nevertheless, her illness was progressing fast.

She was drowning in this thoughts, and it was the reason why she didn't say a word. But Ruby took it as a deathly silence criticizing her food, something that annoyed her and made her sad at the same time.

“Are you angry with me, sister?” Ruby talked with a slight break in her voice “You're not talking to me... Is it because I'm dating Yohane?”

Dia left her coffee, surprised of hearing that “Ruby, I told you that I'm not against your relationship with Yoshiko.” 

“You treat me the same since the day you find out that” Ruby's eyes filled with tears “You haven't even asked me about my work with Hanamaru!”

Dia standed up from her seat and gave Ruby a hug, who corresponded roughly “I didn't you to feel like this, I'm so sorry” She sighed, trying to ignore her sister's soft hands hugging her back “Lots of things have happened since that day, forgive my neglect to you…” 

“Sister, do you think Yohane is good for me?” Dia didn't expected that question “Because I can show you that she is really good for me! She will take good care of me when you…” 

She stopped for a while, losing euphoria and talking so low “When you go to college”

Dia stared at Ruby's eyes, trying not to let tears fall. 

How could she tell that she wouldn't go to college because surely she wouldn't be alive for that? 

“Yoshiko is someone who won't hurt you, I'm sure” She needed to admit, she saw by her own the hard relationship between Yoshiko and Ruby “But she will never take my place.”

“Nobody could never replace you, sister.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! I know it's been a while, but I'm back with the first part of this chapter. When I wrote this, I felt that the chapter was too long for me and I divided it into two parts. But then I wrote longer chapters and didn't divide them ... hehe xd
> 
> I await your comments about the chapter, and I thank you forever for reading uwu


	7. Chapter V

To the next morning, Dia lied. Calling herself improved and ready to go to class. If she had tolerated having such a conversation with Ruby, what would a simple classes do for her?

She took the two pills that Maki had indicated and went down stairs to go to breakfast, along with a smilling Ruby, who could be said to be at peace now that she knew her sister wasn't upset with her.

They both walked to school, as they almost always did. Dia left Ruby when they reached the meeting point with Hanamaru and she left for the junior classrooms.

She reached her classroom, sat on her bench, and relaxed at the impending peace in the room.

That peace was broken two seconds later, when Mari and Kanan suddenly appeared in the room.

"Why didn't you reply to my messages?" Kanan was the first to speak when they realized that Dia was in the room.

Despite having a smile on her face, she was upset with Dia.

If she was honest with herself, Dia had no any desire to talk with her friends, which was why reason she had ignored them.

She knew that they would started a interrogation which she would haven't way out. They always had discovered her when she was lying.

And it was enough that Yoshiko knew the truth of her secret.

"I felt so bad to answer your messages" In fact, It wasn't a lie.

Kanan looked at her questioningly, analyzing her, only to give up. So she nodded and didn't ask another question.

_"Well_ your told us that you are sick" A smile formed in Mari's Face "She said that she was taking care good for you."

Oh, she didn't want to get to where that conversation was going.

"Yes, were you enjoying that affection?" The smile that her friends gave her didn't inspire any confidence. In fact, she was terrified.

Was she so obvious?

However, before he said a word, Mari started laughing.

_"It's Joke"_Dia regained her color "We know you don't like your sister."

"We're sorry about the training the other day, if someone had overheard our conversation, it wouldn't be so funny now." As much as Kanan was talking seriously, she knew they would keep doing it.

However, Dia felt better, her secret was still safe. After all, Yoshiko wouldn't say a single word.

Right?

"Still, aren't you the least bit jealous that your little sister got a couple before you?" Mari went back to her old ways, before Dia continued in her thoughts.

She felt the mint flavor flood her palate, however, she didn't react, she would have to get used to it.

"There's a lot of work to do, I didn't catch up, and you guys didn't do the student council work, right?" Seeing her friends' expressions, she knew their answer.

And that the previous topic was also over.

In the first class intermediary, Dia thought that it was best to lock herself in the student council like in the old days, it was a too obvious place, but it was the only place where no one would bother her.

After all, what could happen in such a short drive as crossing the entire school?

She regretted having thought that.

When he turned the corner, the first couple that she found was Chika and You, enjoying together as the couple that they were.

Dia stared at them for a few seconds, and when she decided to walk past, Chika noticed her presence.

"Dia!" Chika waved her hand, indicating her to come closer. She cursed herself, she must have passed by from the first moment.

Defeated, she approached the couple, saying hello wouldn't affect her at all. Then she would go to student council.

"Everything okay?" You asked. "Mari told us that you had gotten sick."

"Just an annoying flu," She replied, grateful that they didn't know when she was lying.

"Are you going to Aqours training?" We can't allow ourselves to rest with the preliminaries so close, right? " Chika spoke like a good leader.

But the mention of Aqours brought the minty taste back to her.

Would she be able to dance with her sister again?

"What song are you rehearsing?" She asked, wishing it was a song where she and Ruby didn't have a lot of lines.

"Sky Journey."

The barely perceptible minty taste a few moments ago, was stinging all over her mouth now.

Sky Journey was Ruby's song.

Was she able to see Ruby sing a love song while being the center?

Okay, the fancam that I used to see was just from Sky Journey and I still wasn't able to delete it.

But there was a big difference between watching that video and then leaving your bed full of petals that she immediately cleaned, to having to stop a concert that could be vital because she passed out from coughing up petals to see her sister being the center.

No, she was definitely not going to do that.

"I'll prepare to be up to par" One more lie to your list "But while, I have to go to student council, I have a lot of work to do."

Chika offered to help, but Dia refused, she wanted to be in complete solitude, so they said goodbye with a _"luck"_.

Dia went back on her way. But her next misfortune was the library.

Dia ran into Hanamaru and Kanan, reading a book.

She rolled her eyes, Kanan hated reading, she was only there in an attempt to spend time with Hanamaru, she had surely already sneakily yawned several times.

But it was a scene just like the one she and Ruby lived through many times. Having to put up with things that are not really your interest just to spend time with the other.

As soon as she felt hints of mint, Dia eliminated those feelings.

Then, Dia saw that Kanan looked away from the book, and turned to see Hanamaru.

Hanamaru turned around asking Kanan why she had taken her eyes off the book. Kanan didn't respond, instead, she gave her a smile and gently took Hanamaru by the chin, leaned in, Hanamaru closed her eyes, but also leaned in, and Kanan stole a kiss from her.

The love that Hanamaru and Kanan professed for each other was very different from the one that Chika and You proclaimed.

One was Pasional, the other innocent.

What kind of love did she have for Ruby? She asked herself.

Dia looked away for a second, and when she looked again, it wasn't Kanan and Maru who were kissing.

It was as fleeting as a star, lasting no more than a second, but Dia swore she had seen herself kissing Ruby.

This time, the mint flavor came so fast, Dia couldn't control it, drowning in the caramel flavor.

Dia ran out before her coughing ruined the moment for her friends.

She ran to Uranohoshi's courtyard, looking for some air, not caring that the student council was on the other side, avoiding at all costs to drop a petal from her mouth.

It was a single second ache, quick and fleeting, but it indicated that the mint flavor would not return until she took another pill.

The effect had been broken.

She hadn't even been able to calm herself when her eyes caught another distraction.

Her sister and Yoshiko in the distance.

They both seemed to be talking about something that made the datenshi uncomfortable.

Yohane looked somewhat ill, even from a distance from where she was, she could notice that her nose was red, as were her eyes, and there were several dirty papers around her.

Yohane responds to Ruby, getting up and doing her typical fallen angel poses, a sweet laugh from her sister and then taking her by the hand, making her blush and sit back, before kissing her.

The love that Yoshiko and Ruby had was the perfect combination of the other two loves.

Why couldn't it be her? She wondered when she noticed, why couldn't Ruby be the one who was looking at her with those eyes? Why didn't they shine the same way when they were with her?

She started coughing up petals again. Myosotis, its flower. The damned petals that harassed her and reminded her of reality, the petals that marked where she had been.

She ran to the student council before anyone saw her.

And by that someone she meant Yoshiko

* * *

She didn't give a shit that she had so much paperwork that she could spend a lifetime doing it. When she got to the student council, she locked the door and began to cry on the floor.

She was still coughing up the petals, which were now starting to come out in the shape of the flower and were soaked by Dia's tears.

She didn't know how long she was like this, but she only woke up when there was a knock on the door.

"You're very bad at hiding." Yoshiko's voice was hoarse and thin. "You left all the petals in the place where you were watching us."

"Are you sick?" Despite the obvious question, Dia wanted to avoid the situation.

"Never run in the rain without an umbrella and with a soaked jacket," she replied, "However, Yohane's powers will heal my mortal body."

"Your umbrella is in my classroom, you can pick it up." she wanted Yoshiko to leave, but this one didn't do.

"The pills don't work?"

"I had too many signs of what love is today" She sighed. "Don't kiss Ruby again if you're sick, you'll infect her."

"Excuse me ..." She whispered.

"Anyway, the effects wore off when my emotions exploded."

"Have another and that's it." Yohane sneezed.

"If I do, I can cause an overdose or increase my Hanahaki, it says it in the side effects." Dia was feeling terribly bad, why was she talking to Yoshiko about it?

"Go home, don't come back."

"There's too much paperwork to do," She explained. "And I can't be absent forever, my parents will find out when Mari gets tired that she can't get the truth out of me."

"I'll bring the student council work to your house every day, I'll find a way to get your notes without having to go through Mari and Kanan. Don't come back unless you want the whole school to know that you have Hanahaki and see you as a stranger to whom you should feel sorry."

"She heard Yoshiko walk away and Dia was falling into tears again."

She had tried to pretend nothing was wrong and failed. She had never failed in her life, and now she was constantly failing.

The only thing she thought about on her way home was her failure.


	8. Chapter VI

"Sister, why don't you go to class?" Ruby asked her the same question from the last few days "You haven't gone to training at Aqours either. Kanan is constantly asking me if she has to start preparing a choreography with only eight members."

And as in the last few days, Dia would stop eating breakfast and take a few seconds of complete silence, before answering her.

"I can take my classes online or deliver my notes to Mari and Kanan, I have many things to do before I go to University" Ruby was already fed up with the same lie every day.

The two of them have always been honest with each other. Why was that changing? Why was everything changing since she started dating Yoshiko?

Why was her sister walking away from her?

Dia was devastated to see that her sister knew about her lies, and that she was upset with her, or simply looked at her with disappointment. She knew what her lies were doing and if there was another way, she wouldn't hesitate to tell her the truth, but how to tell her that she couldn't be in school because all that love that exuded was killing her?

How to tell her that she was so in love that even annoyed she seemed to be the most beautiful person in the world?

How to tell her that she had been up all night thinking only about how she wanted to kiss her lips?

No, she just wanted her sister not to walk away from her. That she didn't see her as a despicable freak.

Thinking about that ruined her breakfast, which was already quite tense.

That's how it had been all week, Ruby would go to class annoyed and would return accompanied by Yoshiko, with a silly smile. Yoshiko would ask her how she felt, she would lie to her saying she was fine and she would give her the papers and jobs she owed, just when Ruby wasn't looking.

"Can't you even go to training with us? Aqours really misses you" Well played Ruby.

However, Dia only sighed, if Ruby knew how much she had tried to practice to remain an idol, she surely wouldn't ask that.

But she expressed so much love when playing her role as School Idol, that every time she tried to practice the choreography, she had ended up on the verge of fainting, many times without being able to get up in a while, and with a sea of petals at her around.

She knew it was also due to the progression of her disease. Nights without being able to sleep began to be quite more common, her chest pain appeared in much more moments and increased with stress or exercise, even if it was just walking down the stairs. And besides, there were times when she began to feel like she was short of air.

If she went to an Aqours training, she was sure she would end up unconscious in the arms of Kanan, who was taking her to a hospital right away, while her sister panicked and everyone else was scared to see her vomit flowers nonstop.

"I can't, excuse me Ruby." The redhead frowned, stared at her and stood up. She had finished breakfast.

"Yohane will accompany me to school today, she will arrive any minute." Dia felt her eyes water at the coldness of her sister.

"Ruby ..." She tried to fix things with her sister, but the time was quite treacherous, the bell had rung, Yoshiko had arrived.

Ruby just took her backpack and left the house, without even saying hello to Yoshiko, who was stunned, without understanding what was happening.

"And good? Let's go" Says Ruby. Yes, nobody imagined seeing little Ruby so upset and talking like that.

"I wanted to talk to Big Little Demon, may I?" Ruby groaned, irritated, but let her down.

"I'll wait for you on the other side of the street." And she left.

Yoshiko turned to see Dia.

"She's annoyed with me for not telling her why I'm not going to classes or training at Aqours." She sighed, letting a petal out of her mouth, the protection had been broken again. "I never made her feel bad, and now I'm the one to blame. every day is upset."

Yoshiko calmed her expression "You're getting worse."

"How do you want it to not get worse if I see her get upset with me every day for not telling her the truth?" "At that moment Dia broke down, starting to scream "Don't you feel bad for hiding this from her?" She showed her the petal she had in her hand.

"She will hear you ..."

"Yoshiko, if Ruby finds out about this, how will I ever see her in the eye again?" Now she was crying, ducking her head to hide "I adore her, it's my life, literally, I always promised myself that I wouldn't hurt her, and look at me now."

Yoshiko didn't know what to do about the situation. Why was Dia opening up to her? What should she do?

Without really thinking much about it, Yoshiko tried to hug Dia, surprising her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on you." Dia relaxed a bit after that. "It's just ... this secret is killing me, you know?" This is not me ... Being locked up at all hours ...Knowing that I am finishing my duty and all those who love me ... That haunts me every hour."

"It won't be like that today," she assured her when she separated from Dia. "Today we must go to Tokyo again. Do you remember?"

"I thought I'd go alone this time," she mentioned. "You should be in class."

"It'll only be a couple of hours wasted, too. And, there are always things to do in Tokyo" she wink at her "I'm leaving, Ruby is waiting for me, we'll meet at the train station at the same time as always. I'll talk to her so she doesn't get mad at you."

Hearing her name, the aforementioned wanted to say her characteristic cry, but had to contain herself, jumping only. She was hiding behind a wall, trying to hear their conversation, and seeing that Yoshiko was already on her way, she crossed the street at full speed. Feeling regret to confirm her suspicions.

Her sister was hiding something from her, and Yoshiko was covering for her. And apparently it was something quite serious.

Something that Ruby wasn't supposed to know in any way.

She had heard that the two of them were going to Tokyo today, she just had to follow them, and she would have more clues. Overall, the two of them couldn't leave until classes were over, right?

The bad thing is that Yohane left in the middle of the day, when no one was watching, and Ruby didn't realize it until it was too late.

* * *

"I have to go now. Do you remember how to get there?" Dia nodded. Why did Yoshiko treat her like a girl many times? "Send me a message when you finish."

"I'm two years older than you, you don't have to treat me like a girl," she reminded her. "I also know how to move in Tokyo."

"I'm not the girl who couldn't endure three weeks without classes, and personally, I wouldn't trust the safety of a person who is not able to accept that she cannot take classes because she will end up on the floor of a classroom vomiting flowers."

Checkmate Yohane, Checkmate.

Yoshiko gave her a smile when she saw Dia's expression "It's the way Yohane addresses her Little Demons, it's nothing personal."

She sighed. "Still, I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat me like that."

Yohane lowered her shoulders "Sorry."

Both girls parted ways, each going their own way.

Dia arrived with Maki, who was already waiting for her. She invited her in and the scene from the last time was repeated. Although the subject was different.

"Have you had any kind of change?" Again, Maki didn't turn to look at her.

"Yes, I can't go to class or I finish in the student council throwing up flowers, lately I have difficulty breathing and I start to depend on sleeping pills or I can stay awake for days."

As if none of that mattered, Maki grabbed her cell phone and quickly searched for something and showed Dia a video. It was the presentation she had made for her promotion of the summer album. Manatsu Wa Dare no Mono.

She wasn't able to see two seconds of video, just identifying it was enough for her to end up coughing up flowers much more formed than before.

Maki took one of those and analyzed it, before sighing. Shaking her head.

"I apologize for the video, but I needed to see the Hanahaki on my own." However, Dia kept throwing up petals, so Maki had to put her things aside, before bending down to be at the height of this , and to be able to inject Dia with a drug into her arm.

Almost as if it were magic, Dia stopped vomiting, beginning to regain consciousness.

"How do you know about that video?" She asked as soon as she could speak again.

"I do a lot of research on my patients, your School Idols group is very good, if you allow me to comment," she mentioned.

"Thank you, I hope you support them in the preliminaries."

"I see you realize that you can no longer participate in those activities, I am relieved not to have to explain it." Her gaze was serious, as always.

"If I can't be with my sister for long before the pills wear off, I can't be in Aqours no matter how much I want to." She sighed.

"The pills are already useless for you, that you spend so much time with your sister causes your illness to progress faster, more than I have seen in another person" Those words scared Dia "You have entered the second phase."

So that was the reason why it had been getting worse so fast.

"Are you still living with your sister?" She asked, almost unaware that Dia was pale from the news.

"I have no other place to go," She murmured. "She's the one who makes breakfast almost every day, she tells me how her day was, while she asks me again when will I return to school ... I don't want her to have to know that her sister looks at her with loving eyes!" And there were the insecurities coming out again.

"You can have the operation done and you won't have to leave her side ..."

"I won't have your stupid operation! Do not understand? I should take the role of big sister and tell her the truth. Protect her! And all I think about is ... is that I wanted to shut her up with kisses."

"Who was your favorite muse?" Maki deflected the subject to try calm Dia.

"Eli ... I always wanted to be like her, that's why I'm president of the student council ..."

"You have a resemblance to her, she would surely like to meet you ..."

"How long?" Now Dia had a blank look. "How much time do I have?"

"A few months if you keep moving that fast," She admitted. "My medicine is to lengthen the first phase as long as possible, although the second is the longest, it will be quite painful."

"I get it."

"I can give you experimental medicine, the one I haven't managed to finish yet for the second phase, it will only hide the symptoms a bit, but it won't buy you time."

"It's all I need."

Dia left the hospital reluctant to do anything, agitated by the walk around the parking lot.

Despite that, she didn't want to mark Yoshiko yet, dusk was coming, and she had never spent a night in Tokyo.

She checked her bag, she had the money to pay for a few hours in a fairly cheap hotel. She would already apologize to Yoshiko and Ruby, and tomorrow she would take the first train to Numazu.

After all, she had a few months to live, she no longer needed to keep saving for the future.

She was about to follow that plan, when her phone started ringing, it was Yoshiko.

Was she really going to be watching her?

"What's wrong?" She asked when she answered the call.

"Are you still in consultation?" Asked the datenshi.

"No, I just left" And there were her plans to spend a night in Tokyo.

"I need your help" From Yoshiko's tone of voice, it was quite obvious that she was very serious "I have ..., um ... Yohane needs her little Demon ... Please!"

"What the hell did you do? Where are you?" Oh, Dia was very upset "You are an idiot Yoshiko!"

"It's Yohane! I'll send you a taxi and she leaves you where I am" She hung up the call and Dia sighed.

The taxi was not long in coming, and as they were on their way, she was already imagining all the different ways she would kill Yohane and forbid her to hang out with Ruby under the guise of being a bad influence on her.

Oh, surely she was taking her to a highly criminal area, where her life would be in danger.

But, when it came; it was actually just in front of an Akihabara building.

She dialed Yoshiko's number, but Yoshiko didn't answer.

Without much choice, Dia climbed the stairs to find the casino.

Yoshiko was already waiting for her at the entrance.

"Great, I need your help." She took her by the arm without even greeting her. "I just need you to sign on a piece of paper, I need two signatures from someone of legal age, mine and yours."

"You are not of legal age."

"Don't say that in front of him or he won't give me my money." She pulled her to the back of the place, where a man was waiting expectantly for them.

"I brought another person of legal age, give me that check." The way Yoshiko ordered that man was strange to Dia, how could she be you for you with someone older?

"Your identification" Dia looked closely at the man, before handing it to her "Okay, go get the check, you know they give it to the window."

And Yohane ran off, leaving those two alone.

"Before you say anything, I know Yohane is underage" The man was the first to speak "She uses a fake ID whenever she comes, but she is such a good player and is so aware of what this is, that she would go against of my values not to give her what she deserves."

"Do you know she not going to declare any of that on her taxes?"

"I know," the man chuckled, "But most here won't" Don't worry, there are times when Yoha gets into illegal things, but it will never be something shady that cannot be paid with a bail, and that girl really has money left over."

Yohane motioned for them to leave, so Dia said goodbye.

"In a casino? Is doing things in Tokyo to come to gamble?" In spite of everything, Dia was going to scold Yoshiko.

"Shut up and accompany me to a cell phone store, I have to buy a new one." Dia didn't understand how Yoshiko could be so cheeky.

"Did you bet your cell phone!?"

"And I lost," She clarified, "But I have to buy a better one, don't get upset."

"How do you want me to entrust my sister's safety to someone who bets up to her cell phone?"

"Calm down, I would never involve Ruby in something like that." I look at Dia seriously. "Ruby is Yohane's most important Little Demon, she wouldn't send her on any of the missions that Yohane must do in order to continue maintaining hell."

For some reason, that reassured Dia.

When they went out to buy Yoshiko's new cell phone, night had already fallen in Tokyo.

And Dia was surprised at how Akihabara looked.

"Have you ever been to Tokyo at night?" Dia denied. "My mother often brought me when I was little, before she got too busy with her work."

"It's amazing..."

"Hey, why don't we stay one night? We go to dinner, we play on the machines and sleep here, tomorrow we take the first train to Numazu. I pay.” Yohane smiled at her.

"Why would you do that?"

"You don't have a good expression, so I guess they gave you bad news. Yohane wants to see all his little demons happy, even if the situation is difficult. And ... You helped me right now, I must thank you."

"Thank you, Yoshiko."

* * *

Across town, a red-haired girl was dialing a number, hoping the person would answer.

Although she had every right not to.

_"Sorry, the number you dialed is busy"_

She sighed, waiting for the noises so she could send a voice message.

_"Eli? It's me, Maki" She started "I know you don't want to know anything about me, and I completely respect your decision, but I need you to come to Tokyo" She sighed. "I have a patient ... She doesn't have much time to live. , Hanahaki You know? And ... She was a fan of yours, she is president of the student council of her school just like you, could you come and meet her? It sure would make her happy to meet you before ... You know, maybe you can even convince her to have the operation done, since you're very good at it— Damn, there was the reason they left her again— Just… Mark me when you hear this, please._


End file.
